Quote:
Originally Posted by drcy
Actually, you should want an expert to be paid to make an assessment of the item (real, fake, identity, age, new, old, whatever). It wouldn't be good if he was paid, or paid differently, depending on what is the decision. That's a way to corrupt the opinion process. If that's the way card grading/authenticating or anything is done, it's wrong.
I don't formally examine items anymore, but if I am paid I'm being paid to examine the item and give an assessment as to what it is. I'm being paid for my expertise (and time), and it's the same expertise involved in identifying a real item as it is fake. Obviously, for the collector, auction house or museum, being informed that something is a modern reproduction or fake is valuable information.
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Except you'd hope someone who is an expert would go easy on someone who sent in a really bad fake.
My one experience with stamps was at the international show in 2006. They had some experts manning an "antiques roadshow" sort of booth with a 2 item limit. I brought a couple I'd spent a bunch of time figuring out what was up with them. One I felt was good, the other not so good. (Genuine item, but fake perforations to make it an expensive item instead of a fairly cheap one. )
The time it took him to tell after I said I was pretty confident about one but not the other and handed them to him was well under a minute for both combined. It was good to know I'd been right even if it did take me much longer to reach the same conclusion. I've since sent the real one in for an actual certificate.
In the case of autographs, being paid what they ask on a difficult one isn't really all that expensive. But I'd hope is someone sent in an obviously pre printed or rubber stamped Ruth or something they wouldn't still charge the high fee.